Related Stories

Like hopefuls trying to land a big part in a Broadway play, the Maple Leafs joined the lineup of teams being auditioned by Vincent Lecavalier.

General manager Dave Nonis and his assistant/salary cap specialist Claude Loiselle came to a hotel in midtown New York late Saturday for a meeting with the surprise free-agent catch of draft weekend.

Lecavalier and agent Kent Hughes spoke to about half the 30 teams as day and night wore on with more to come Sunday.

Nonis would not comment on the vibe of the meeting when contacted by the Toronto Sun.

Boston, Detroit, Dallas, Philadelphia and Montreal were among the suitors granted a few minutes to make a pitch and one team (not the Leafs) met with him at least an hour. Toronto, with a need for size and experience down the middle, even if UFA Tyler Bozak returns, have obvious interest in a quick fix such as Lecavalier.

Though he’s now sitting on a $30 million US compliance buyout from Tampa Bay spread over the next 14 years, the 33-year-old Lecavalier is adamant he has something to offer the right team if a dollar figure is reached. He had a $7.7 million cap hit last year, but would take a haircut after his production numbers began to fall off a few years ago.

As a team, the Leafs are in much better shape than if this chance had arisen a couple of years ago, but there is likely concern from Lecavalier about the optics. Picking Toronto means snubbing his home-province of Quebec, which has fantasized about his return for years.

Fraser phased out?

While chasing Lecavalier, the Leafs might be saying goodbye to one of their hardiest performers last season. Defenceman Mark Fraser, who fought his way back to the NHL through the Marlies and helped Toronto forge its abrasive identity, has rejected a two-way qualifying offer, according to a TSN report.

Such a move on the Leafs’ part would not have sat well with Fraser, whose season ended with a frontal skull fracture after being struck with a puck in a playoff game against the Bruins.

“He rejected his offer which was tendered simply to retain his rights,” Nonis said in an e-mail. “(It was) not unexpected.”

Fraser’s agent, Larry Kelly, could not be reached for comment.

Burke back to work

The last time Team USA named its Olympic Games hierarchy, Brian Burke and Ron Wilson were chortling how unpopular they would be in Toronto and Canada as GM and coach, respectively, if the Yanks won.

They did get within a goal of a gold medal in Vancouver in 2010, but wound up being reviled in Leafs Nation for other reasons. For 2014, Burke has an undefined player personnel role, in a group including six current NHL GMs. Wilson has been replaced as coach by Pittsburgh’s Dan Bylsma.

Burke, who was hired as a scout in Anaheim and has mostly kept a low profile since his dismissal in January, and Flyers’ GM Paul Holmgren were the only execs absent at a Team USA press conference on Saturday in New York. Burke was changing planes in Moscow said an official.

Rushing Jake to Russia

When Poile said he would put a premium on skating for his team on the big ice in Sochi, Russia, next year, Jake Gardiner’s ears must have perked up.

Why not look at the young Leaf defenceman, who glides almost effortlessly, can pinch and get back in a flash? Poile agrees youth will be part of his August orientation camp in Washington, ., in fact 2013 star draft pick Seth Jones is on the radar. But before Poile could be asked about other potential Leafs such as Phil Kessel, John-Michael Liles and James van Riemsdyk, he said he had not discuss current NHLers until his staff meets.

“I don’t want to offend anyone,” Poile said.

Loose Leafs

The Leafs and all teams will be closely monitored on the three-minute rule per pick on Sunday at the Prudential Center in Newark as the NHL attempts to get all seven rounds completed between

3 p.m. and the 11 o’clock news. The league intends to chop one hour off the usual ceremonies in the first round alone. “It’s going to be rock and roll,” said Florida GM Dale Tallon .... Among those at the Leaf table on Sunday will be Nonis, Loiselle, VP Dave Poulin, amateur scouting director Dave Morrison, advisors Cliff Fletcher and Steve Staios, player development director Jim Hughes and European scout Thommie Bergman ... A rare sight Sunday will be a Leaf wearing Mats Sundin’s 13. Drafted juniors are getting the franchise leading scorer’s number for the photo-op because it’s the 2013 class, but it will likely remain as sacrosanct as Wendel Clark’s 17 has the past decade ... Toronto could get the 2017 draft as part of their 100th anniversary ... This is the 50th anniversary of the first NHL draft, when only 16-year-olds were eligible. The Leafs first pick was Walt McKechnie, who didn’t start out in blue and white but was traded to Toronto in 1978. Garry Monahan, picked first overall by Montreal, also eventually played for the Leafs. Defenceman Jim McKenny was also among the 21 picked that year.

Sponsored Links

Leafs have sit-down with Lecavalier

Like hopefuls trying to land a big part in a Broadway play, the Maple Leafs joined the lineup of teams being auditioned by Vincent Lecavalier.

General manager Dave Nonis and his assistant/salary cap specialist Claude Loiselle came to a hotel in midtown New York late Saturday for a meeting with the surprise free-agent catch of draft weekend.

Lecavalier and agent Kent Hughes spoke to about half the 30 teams as day and night wore on with more to come Sunday.

Nonis would not comment on the vibe of the meeting when contacted by the Toronto Sun.

Boston, Detroit, Dallas, Philadelphia and Montreal were among the suitors granted a few minutes to make a pitch and one team (not the Leafs) met with him at least an hour. Toronto, with a need for size and experience down the middle, even if UFA Tyler Bozak returns, have obvious interest in a quick fix such as Lecavalier.